Charter fishing for Atlantic bluefin tuna is set to take place in Jersey waters for a three-month period later this year, the Environment Minister has stated.
Deputy Steve Luce told the States Assembly that moves to include the Island within an international conservation convention were well advanced and should enable approved businesses to offer “catch and release” charter trips between August and October.
Up to five businesses would be given permits for 2025, with two having already expressed interest, the minister told the States Assembly this morning in response to a question from Deputy Jonathan Renouf.
Deputy Luce said this would follow once Jersey had finalised negotiations with the UK Ministry of Justice about the extension of the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.
And he added that in 2026 he was looking at a wider scheme that would allow some Jersey fishing businesses to land small quantities of Atlantic bluefin tuna that could be sold to restaurants and retail outlets.
While the species is currently protected as part of the Island’s Wildlife Law, Deputy Luce said the law may be amended next year, making Atlantic bluefin tuna subject to the same regulatory structure as other species of fish.
Two Members, Deputies Hilary Jeune and Montfort Tadier, expressed concern about the stress endured by fish which were subjected to catch and release, resulting in some of them dying after being returned to the sea.
Deputy Tadier asked the minister if he agreed there was an element of cruelty in the practice and whether he considered this was justified by the relatively small economic gain for some businesses.
Deputy Luce said that Atlantic bluefin tuna was a “big strong fish” that was robust enough to withstand catch and release, with a condition of licences being issued that operators had the necessary measures that would allow fish to be landed, unhooked and released promptly.
Once nearly extinct, Atlantic bluefin tuna have become increasingly abundant in the territorial waters of the Channel Islands, France and the UK in recent years.
Extending the convention to cover Jersey waters would end the current situation where UK companies can apply for licences for charter fishing, but their counterparts in Jersey are unable to do so.
Members of the Island’s fishing community have been supportive of the proposed extension, saying that it could benefit several parts of the economy, including hospitality businesses as well as those directly involved in fishing.
Atlantic bluefin tuna are fast-swimming and wide-ranging fish that have always occasionally ventured into UK waters, but became an extremely rare sight through the latter half of the 20th century as the highly valuable species was fished close to extinction.
Thanks to improved international management, stocks recovered, with the tuna reappearing in UK coastal waters in 2014 and being regularly sighted in increasing numbers around the coasts of Cornwall, and further along the south coast into Devon and Dorset waters.
